The present invention addresses the problems encountered when attaching an accessory, such as a light beam generator or other optical apparatus, to a Browning M2 .50 caliber machine gun and then operating the accessory with the gun.
The Browning M2 machine gun (hereinafter “M2”), utilized by the U.S. armed forces, weighs about 35 kilograms and recoils heavily when fired. It is usually supported from beneath, sometimes by a tripod, more commonly by a post or pintle installed on a platform such as a vehicle, vessel or aircraft. If an accessory is to be aimed with the gun, it might as well be mounted on the gun. However, there is a need for a sturdy, secure way to attach an accessory to the M2.
The M2 has a shroud which is capable of supporting an accessory. The shroud is a substantially cylindrical cast metal shell which surrounds the gun barrel, is rigidly fixed to the body of the gun, and projects forward about 20 centimeters from the front of the body of the gun. The shroud has an outside diameter of about 8 centimeters and a shell thickness of about 0.7 centimeter. The shroud has a plurality of substantially circular perforations, about 2 cm in diameter, formed by casting or machining. As presently configured, the perforations are arranged in six sets of three. The three perforations of each set are spaced apart about 120° in a plane perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the shroud. Successive sets of perforations are spaced apart about 1.5 cm longitudinally and offset by about 60°.
The shroud is an ordinary feature of many of the M2 machine guns that are in service. However, as will be discussed below in describing the present invention, there is a need in particular for a sturdy, secure way to support a growing inventory of accessories by utilizing the shroud.